Ditch-digging machine.



Y L. 0. ANDERSON:

DITCH DIGGI'NG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. 1911.

PatentedSept. 3,1918. 2 SHEETS--SHEEI 1 w 'mzss s.

4 L 0. ANDERSON DITCH mGemG MACHINE.

P APPLICATION FILED APR. 30.1917- 1,%?7,303;

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LOUIS QANDERSON, or BRUNSWICK, MINNESOTA.

. I DITCH-DIGGING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS O. ANDnRsoN, a

citizen of'the United States, residing at Brunswick, in the county of Kanabec and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditch- Digging Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to digging machines or excavators, and an objectis'to provide a machine of this kind whichis adapted to be drawn by animal power, a tractor or the like, and embodies means whereby the earth may be opened to form a ditch and the soil elevated and deposited at both sides.

Another object of the inventionis to provide means in a ditch digging machine of the character above described to cut the sod at both edges of the ditch and which is. adj ustable to conform to the width-of the ditch required. j V

A still further object of the inventionis to provide means adjustable to limit the depth of the ditchto be formed and to permit the diggin ofditches of various depths.

A still further object of the invention is to provide elevating and deflecting means in a ditch digging machine of the character above noted, whereby the earth removed from the ditch may be deposited at both sides thereof, said elevating and deflecting means being adjustable laterally to conform to the width of the ditch to be dug and to deposit the earth at varying distances from the ditch. I w

In addition to the foregoing my invention comprehends the improvements in the details of construction and arrangement ofparts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanyin drawings in which similar and corresponc ing parts are .desig nated by the same characters of reference throughout the several views.

Figure 1, is a view in plan of a ditch digging machine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2, is. a view of the machine in side elevation.

Fig. 3, is a view of the machine in front elevation.

Fig. his a detail view in elevation of the forward portion of the machine illustrating a modified form of device to limit the depth of out, and

Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

Application filed A ri 30, 1917. Serial No. 165,384.

Fig. 5, is a crosssection on line 55 of Fig. 2.

With reference to the drawings, 10 indicates a beam which inclined downwardly .aiid forwardly, disposed longitudinally of the machine, and designed to form the main member of the frame of my improved ditch digging machine. A vertical standard 11 is provided to support the beam at a point inj termediate the ends of said beam and a plow share 12 is secured to the lower end of this standard. The plow share is formed with a central vertical ridge 13 and sides 14: which slope downwardly from said ridge. This plow share is substantially triangular in configuration in plan with its apex directed forwardly. It will be noted in Fig. 3, of

the drawings that the sides 14 while sloping downwardly from the center, are also slightly inclined upwardly and rearwardly. A pair of'longitudinally disposed, transversely spaced runners or skids 15 are secured at their forward ends to the rear end of the plow share (see Fig. 1). The rear end of. thebeam 10 is supported from the rear end of the runners 15 through the medium of posts 16 which are connected at their upper ends to a bar 17 which is provided with oppositely extending transverse arms 18.

Handle bars 19, provided at opposite sides "of the machine, are secured at their forward ends to the skids 15 and intermediate their ends are secured to the posts 16. The rear ends of said handle bars are provided with I gripping portions 20 whereby the ditch digging machine may be guided by a person walking behind.

To open the soil I provide a colter or cutting implement comprising a blade or bar 21 which is disposed vertically and directly in front of the apex of the plow share with the lower end of the beam-connected to the plow share and the upper end bifurcated to receive the beam, the blade being securely held to said beam through the medium of a U-clamp 21. The forward edge of the blade 21 is sharpened and the lower end of the blade may be curved forwardly as indicated at 22.

. At opposite sides of the beam I provide a conveyer 23 which is in the nature of a platform, preferably formed of sheet metal,

tapering forwardly, that is narrower at its forward end than at its rear end. The forward end of each conveyer is pivotally secured as at 24 for lateral movement in recesses provided therefor in the rear end of the plow share. The conveying platforms 23 are inclined upwardly and rearwardly and formed with oppositely and laterally directed portions 25. The outer longitudinal edges of the platform 23 are bent upward as at walls 26 and the inner edges of the platforms are provided with upstanding guide flanges or walls 27 to prevent the soil from prematurely falling therefrom; Walls 27 extend from the standard 11 to which they are connected, rearwardly and are then curved in opposite directions to form deflecting portions 28. It will thus be seen that owing to the pivotal connection of the conveyors with the plow shares, said conveyers may be adjusted toward or away from each other in a direction laterally of the machine. A plurality of bolt holes are provided in each conveyor platform as indicated at 29 whereby bolts may be inserted therein and holes of the oppositely extending arms 18 mentioned above.

. In operation, with a team of horses, a tractor or other draft means connected to j a clevis 30 provided upon the forward end of the beam, the machine is drawn along the ground to be opened whereupon the colter or blade 21 will open the soil to aid the penetration of the plow share 12 therein. The plow share owing to its configuration and the fact that its bottom wall is flat, serves to define or form the floor of the ditch and hence the earth as quickly as it is dislodged falls upon the plow share. The forward movement of the machine serves to crowd the earth upon the conveyer platforms 23 and urge it toward the rear ends thereof where it is deflected by the deflector flanges 28 toward both sides of the ditch and falls from portions The runners 15 facilitate guiding of the machine'and insurethe formation of a ditch of even depth.

To limit the'depth of the ditch, I provide a runner or gage member mounted upon the beam 10 therebeneath and at a :point just in advance of -c0lter 21. This member is indicated at 31 in Fig. 2, and it has a vertical shank '82 attached to the beam 10 by a U- bolt 38. The opposite or lower end of this member is directed rearwardly and is bifurcated to straddle the'colter 21 as indicated clamped at 34, the rearwardly extending portion being horizontaljand adapted to engage the surface-of the earth just in advance of the colter to limit its depth of penetrationinto the soil.

I further providemeans for cutting the sod cleanly at each edge ofthe-ditch which comprises a pair of cutting bladesor bars 35,

one of which is mounted at each side of the 'machine, the.plow share being provided-at each side -thereof with a pair of longitudinally spaced apertured ears 36 between which the lower ends the blades 35 extend, which are pivoted by bolts 37 which enter the ears and the lower ends of the blades which are apertured for that purpose. The blades are normally inclined upwardly in diverging relation and are held in position subsequent to adjustment toward or away from each other through the medium of bars 38 which are connected to the upper ends of the blades, are directed toward each other, disposed in contact and secured together and to the under side of the beam through the medium ofa bolt 39 which enters-the beam andv said bars. The bars are furthermore apertured to permit the insertion therein of bolts 10 to insure maintenance of adjustment. v

It will be apparent that owing to the provisionof the runner '31 the depth of the ditch may be limited, and that by adjusting said member vertically the depth of the ditch may be varied. It will furthermore be apparent that as the machine is drawn along, the sharpened forward edges ofthe blades 35, cleave the sod cleanly along the edge of the ditch and permit it to fall upon the plow share and conveyed along the platforms 23 and deposited ateach side of the ditch with the removed soil.

To provide an additional means for limiting the depth to which the ditch may be dug, or to provide a quick means for raising the machine to ride over obstacles in its path not easily dislodged, a rod 11 is used. This rod is disposed vertically and passes through an opening formed in a block 12 fastened to the plow beam. 'The rod is threaded at the portion thereof which enters the block for engagement with threads which line the opening of 'theblock, whereby rotation of the rodby means of a hand wheel 43,

moves the rod vertically in either direction. The lower end of the rod isprovided with a shoe 14: which engages the ground at a 7 point beneath the,plow beam and inthe rear of-the plow share. It will be apparent that by rotating the hand wheel 43 so as to dB-r press the shoe 7111 00 engagement with the ground, :the forward end of the machine may be raisedto. glide over an obstacle-and may subsequently *descend by rotating the hand wheel 43 in a reverse direction.

The runner 31 provided at the forward end the machine for engaging the-earth to limit the-depth of the ditch is primarily designed for use upon soft soil, .ho-wever. -When hard so1l 1s encountered a modified. form of this device may be provided as is shown in Fig. 1. This modified 'form con plow and connect it to the front of the 31 and may be adjusted vertically to limit the depth of penetration of the plow share. It will be apparent from the foregoing that as the ditch is dug the earth maybe readily and automatically removed and deposited at each side thereof. It will be apparent that the platforms may be adjusted toward or away from each other so as to deposit the earth at any distance from the ditch desired.

lVhile I have illustrated and described my invention with some degree of particularity, I realize that in practice various alterations thereover may be made, and I therefore desire to reserve the right and privilege of changing the form of the details of construction, or otherwise-altering the arrangement of the correlated parts, without departing from-the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an excavator, a beam, a plow depending therefrom and extending equidistantly on opposite sides thereof, a cutting bar depending from the beam to supportlthe ow midway of its sides, cutters, one CLIttBI being pivoted on each of opposite sides of the plow for lateral swinging, a bar structure secured to the cutter and extending on opposite sides of the beam, said bar structure being extensible to vary the angles of the cutters to regulate the width of the ditch, runners extending rearwardly from the plow, conveyers extending rearwardly from the plow, means to secure the conveyers to the plow for lateral adjustment, a support for the rear of the beam rising from the runners, and a horizontally disposed plate maintaining the conveyers in an inclined posi-' tion, said plate being mounted by said support and said conveyers resting on said plate and being capable of lateral swinging movement thereon.

2 In an excavator, a plow, a beam from which said plow is suspended, said plow having ears, upstanding cutter bars pivoted to said ears, means supported from the beam extensible to spread the cutter bars to vary the width of the ditch, the plow being provided with a slot, conveyers extending into such slot and pivoted to the plow for movement laterally relatively thereto, runners extending rearwardly from the plow to prevent lateral tilting of the excavator, a bar on which the conveyers rest and may swing lat orally, and means supporting the last mentioned bar from the runners.

3. In an excavator, plowing means, conveyers leading rearwardly therefrom, fastening elements to secure the conveyers at different lateral adjustments to the rear of the plowing means, runner means, a supporting structure rising from the runner means spaced from the plowing means, said conveyers being upwardly inclined and resting on said supporting structure, said conveyers being laterally movable on said supporting structure, and means to adjustably secure the conveyers to said supporting structure.

4. In an excavator, a plow, a beam from which the plow is suspended, a plurality of runners, conveyer means extending rearwardly from the plow, said runners being on opposite sides of the beam to prevent lateral tilting of the excavator, a bar support ing said beam and conveyer means, and a support for the bar rising from the runners.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS O. ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

AND. SKOGLUND, L. F. SKoeLUNn.

Copies-of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Gommlseioncr of Patents, Waahlnmen, M. Q." 

